I’ve wanted to visit Betatakin for years, and we were finally going to do it. Located in northeast Arizona, in the heart of the Navajo Nation, the remote location had never been a convenient stop in our previous travels. But this time, we went out of our way to visit. It was well worth the detour.
Ancient Ruins In A Beautiful Landscape
For starters, the landscape is beautiful—a high desert plateau carved by deep salmon-hued canyons and dotted with sagebrush, pinyon pine, and pygmy juniper.
Stunning colors along Highway 160
And some interesting rock formations
A little more than a century ago, rancher/explorer John Wetherill (with the help of Clatsozen Benully, a Navajo guide) discovered an ancient abandoned settlement tucked beneath the overhanging cliffs. Constructed of sandstone, mud mortar, and wood, the ruins are remarkably well preserved. At the time of discovery, the dwellings contained a vast array of basketry, pottery, grinding stones, and ancient tiny corncobs—all left behind when the people walked away 700 years ago.
Betatakin from the overlook
Betatakin, which in Navajo means “ledge house,” is comprised of 135 rooms cobbled together and perched on the brink of a sheer sandstone cliff. The ruins are tightly protected, and the only way to access them is with a ranger. Hikes are scheduled daily from Memorial Day until Labor Day, but from October through April, access to the cliff dwellings is closed. The Ancient Puebloans must have been smiling on us, because here we are, on a Tuesday in late October, and a hike is scheduled.
The patio at the visitor center is designed like a Navajo rug
Hiking To The Ruins
There are two trails leading down into the canyon. We’re taking the shorter (three-mile round trip) but much more strenuous path. Eight hundred precipitous stair steps and a steep trail of many tight switchbacks lead us 700 feet down into the canyon below.
The start of the trail down into the canyon
800 steep stair steps and switchbacks
Along the way, Jimmy identifies native plants and tells us of their traditional uses. Pointing to sagebrush: “This one, my grandmother made into a tea for headaches.” Born to a Hopi mother and Navajo father, Jimmy grew up exploring and playing in the area. His father was employed for decades at the monument, and Jimmy has volunteered here for many years.
Stories Of Ancient Tribal Ways
At the bottom of the canyon, we sit in a circle while he tells us of ancient tribal ways that continue to be practiced among his people. Jimmy is married to a Hopi woman and knows intimately the ways of both the Navajo and Hopi. He tells us of coming-of-age ceremonies which last four days. Marriage traditions include the weaving of a wedding basket. During this time, the mother-in-law can say anything she wants to her prospective son-in-law. When the basket is finished, she has to hold her tongue. Upon marriage, everything belongs to the wife. It is a matrilineal society, and children are born to the mother’s clan.
Jimmy telling us of tribal ways
Ancestors of the Hopi (the Hisatsinom) lived in this area. As they switched from nomadic hunting and gathering to farming, they built multi-storied stone masonry dwellings such as Betatakin. Other tribes, including the Zuni and the San Juan Southern Paiute, also traveled through and lived in these canyons. And for hundreds of years, the Navajo have lived in the surrounding territory. For the native people, these sacred places are regarded as ancestral lands, and they hold deep spiritual significance in their cultural traditions.
First view of Betatakin
After an hour of hiking, we have our first glimpse of Betatakin. High above in an alcove, the sun illuminates the red rock. In winter, the southern exposure provides maximum warmth and light. In summer, the dwellings are shaded from the direct overhead sun. On nearby low-lying land, the ancient peoples farmed crops of corn, beans, and squash.
Life In A Cliff Dwelling
We draw closer and Jimmy tells us more of life in the cliff dwelling. The rooms are small, with low ceilings. Obviously, the people living here spent most of their time outdoors. Some walls are blackened from the fires used for cooking and warmth. Some rooms have entrances just big enough to crawl through, with stones that could be locked in place to seal the entrance. These were granaries, designed to protect crops from thieving rodents. Ancient timbers still survive. Hand and footholds are worn into the steep rock face.
Ruins of the ancient ones
Click on any photo for a larger image
Faint symbols of the clans can still be seen painted and pecked into the sandstone. For an hour, we wander near the ruins, listen to the wind, watch the ravens catching the thermals, and imagine life as it was 700 years ago in this beautiful and secluded place.
Pictographs of The Fire Clan
And then, we make the trek back up. It’s 800 steep stair steps to the top. For those who prefer to avoid the strenuous hike down into Betatakin, an easy rim trail leads to a terrific view from above.
The easy way to see Betatakin
About The Campground
Two small free campgrounds tucked into the junipers and pinyon pines are available on a first-come basis. RV’s are limited to 28 feet or less, but we saw sites in the Canyon View campground that looked like they would accommodate big rigs. Water spigots and restrooms are available in the Sunset View campground. Verizon coverage is decent, and it’s an easy walk to the Visitor Center and the hiking trails. According to the ranger, the campgrounds are never full.
Beautifully written! My wife Pat and I have enjoyed visiting Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon recently and hope to visit Betatakin and Canyon de Chelly soon. Experiencing places such as this with knowledgeable indigenous guides is truly eye opening. There is so much that they didn’t teach us in school! We enjoy your blog…thank you!
Thank you, Tom. I appreciate your kind comment. We had plans to visit Chaco Canyon but realized we didn’t have enough time to do it justice. Did you stay overnight? I agree that visiting with knowledgeable indigenous guides makes all the difference. This was a wonderful experience for us — I’m sure you’ll enjoy Betatakin! We would love to also visit Keet Seel (also in Navajo National Monument) — but that requires a 17-mile hike, and we weren’t prepared for an overnight hike.
Unfortunately, we were on a day trip from Santa Fe, so we did not stay overnight. Our visit to Chaco Canyon was limited to exploring Pueblo Bonito and Chetro Ketl. I would definitely recommend a couple of days as there is so much to see. Ranger G.B. Cornucopia was our USFS guide. He is extremely knowledgeable, a very nice man and I would heartily recommend looking him up when you do visit.
Thanks so much for the recommendations. We would love to spend a couple of days in Chaco, but because the roads are so terrible, we’re reluctant to take our trailer. Looks like a bit of tent camping is in our future. :-)
Wow. That’s amazing! What a great decision to make this out-of-the-way stop. About 30 years ago I visited my dad (who lived in Phoenix at the time) and we visited Canyon de Chelly. That too was incredible but there were no steep hikes down to let you get up close to the village. Maybe that’s changed… I wouldn’t have minded the exercise of those 800 steps but I’m not sure I would have been brave enough to try it with my vertigo and uneasiness around heights. Did you have any problem with that? Your guide sounded amazing. What a gift. It may sound silly but I didn’t think there was much inter-marrying between the Hopi and the Navajo since the Hopi were traditionally overwhelmed by the size of the Navajo nation. I thought there was absolutely no love lost between those two tribes. But your guide is living proof that sometimes barriers can be overcome!
Janet, our guide Jimmy asked if anyone had a fear of heights before we started the hike — it made me a bit nervous when he talked about the steep switchbacks and sheer drop-offs, but it actually wasn’t bad. I think you would be fine. He was a wonderful guide — for more than three hours we were completely immersed in the culture and history of this sacred place. Your comment about intermarriage is so interesting — I had the same thought. I didn’t ask for fear of being rude, but I wish I had!
That’s such a hard call – not knowing if it might be inappropriate to ask. I would have errored on the side of being polite, like you, but would have wanted so badly to ask anyway! BTW I just finished a book about an adventure, though it’s a little different than your current adventure. The book, “Unbranded”, is about four men who tamed/rode 16 BLM Mustangs 3000 miles from the AZ/Mexican border up the Canada (Glacier) using public land. WOW!!!!!!!!!! Those were some brave (crazy?) dudes. They wanted to shed some light on the plight of the Mustang.
That sounds like a great book — thanks for the recommendation!
What a magical place…you two inspire and amaze me…to do this when you can climb 800 stairs and enjoy the views! Miss you but take such delight in your postcards from the adventure….thank you both for sharing….happy holidays!
Diana, we’re so happy to have you along in our journey. It’s time to meet up again somewhere, soon! Holiday blessings to you, too, my friend.
Nice post! It was cold and had started snowing the day we visited. When we looked through the falling snow from the overlook, we were treated to a rare snow-bow that hovered over the ruins. It was an enchanting, almost spiritual moment. We didn’t go to the ruins that day. Maybe another time….
R & K, that sounds gorgeous! Would love to see your photos. You guys would enjoy the hike to the ruins.
So nice to see Betatakin up close. I have only seen it from a distance. Canyon de Chelly called me back several times, and our one trip to Chaco Canyon was amazing, but we also only stayed the day. That 21 miles in is a bit rough, the MoHo had to wait for us outside the park boundary. Great for your rig and/or tent camping however. Hope you get there sometime.
Sue, I think you would enjoy the hike into Betatakin. I drove that pot-hole ridden 21 miles into Chaco years ago, and we’ve been reluctant to drag our trailer there. Maybe it’s a better road than I remember? Otherwise we’ll bring our camping gear so that we can spend the night. Canyon de Chelly is definitely on our list, too.
What a wonderfully preserved structure! I am so glad that they are able to keep people away without a guide. The Wetherill’s certainly did a lot of exploring and searching for ruins all over that surrounding area! How close were you actually able to get to the ruins? I am assuming you couldn’t go in!?? I love when we have a guide with a real connection to what we are seeing. Sure wish I was along:) Boy, that is a lot of steps!! Good job you two:) How is it that you were able to go if they don’t do tours in the fall?
Pam, I wish you guys were with us, too! The steps made for a good workout. :-) We were able to get to the edge of the alcove, but not walk into the structures. They’re not restored, like in Mesa Verde, and it’s too risky (falling rock, etc.). We just totally lucked out being there for a tour — apparently they do tours once a week if they have a guide available. The only way to find out is to check with the Visitor Center.
It is probably a good idea to keep the visitors at a distance to preserve the structures. Lucky you for getting a tour and a very small tour, as well:)
We were thrilled with the small tour! Couldn’t have been better. :-)
We really need to check this out when we get to do some traveling. Thank you so much for sharing so many wonderful places.
You would enjoy it, Brenda — and the campground is perfect for your Casita! Bring those Keen’s. :-)
Those are some incredible pueblo ruins…the strenuous access must have helped to save them from destruction by too many visitors! We are so fortunate to live in a time when these remnants of our history are still around to visit and muse over.
Lisa, I think you’re right that the difficult access has helped to preserve the ruins. It’s a very special place, and we appreciate being able to visit.
We were there in June and it was very hot so we didn’t take the tour, just walked the overlook trail. Thanks for showing us what we missed! Next time…
By the way, we had no trouble getting our 31′ into a site, and I read reviews of someone who stayed there in a 35′ motor home. Just be sure to arrive early as there are only a handful of longer sites.
Thanks for the confirmation that the sites are big enough for larger rigs. I agree that arriving early is best, although there were only three other people in the campground the two days we were there. It’s definitely a place worth a return visit!
Thank you so much for taking me along on this amazing tour. You capture the spirit of the place so beautifully in both your words and photos. One look at the stairs with the steep drop off on one side…..and nope :-( Still, I am very much looking forward to seeing what I can when we get there ourselves. The sunlight on the ruins is fabulous.
Jodee, I’m happy you enjoyed the tour — and I think you would love walking the beautiful rim trail to the overlook, exploring the Visitor Center, and the campground. Lots to explore without having to navigate the steep trails. :-)
OK, no fair, where did my comment go? We camped at Chaco and Canyon de Chelly and Mesa Verde and loved all three. We were tent camping then and it was seriously magical to be in Chaco over night. Not sure you can do that any more. Tours are especially wonderful when you are able to go with a Native guide. This looks like just a really wonderful hike you took. I loved taking it with you and can’t wait to be able to do it myself some day and return to all the ancient ruins that so draw me to them. Amazing pictures as always.
Thanks, Sherry. :-) Camping is still available in Chaco, and we’ll probably do it with a tent since the road is 21 miles of potholes. How cool that you camped in all three of those wonderful parks! You guys would really appreciate Betatakin.
It sure was worth an out of the way trip for you and very fortunate to be able to tour it with a guide. For now I am just happy with your great pictures for am not sure if Betsy will fit in any of those campground.
ML, I think you guys would be able to fit into the Canyon View campground. You would really enjoy the hike and the tour!
Wow. Makes me want to go back to the red-rock country! And find the more remote places, like this one. Nice.
We like remote places, too (obviously!). I can see you loving Betatakin, Gretchen.